Wide Days Enjoys Record Attendance

This year’s Wide Days convention attracted a record 250 delegates (up 25% from 2015) and saw almost 1,000 registrations for the free showcase programme, which featured a majority of female-fronted acts.
 
The event, which took place in Edinburgh on 22-23 April, attracted representatives from most of the UK’s key music industry organisations, as well as delegates from Germany and the US.
 
Its conference programme included an interview with award-winning producer, Martin “Youth” Glover, a panel on the economics of streaming, a focus on city-based music festivals and the launch of Creative Carbon Scotland’sSustainable Music Festivals Guide.
 
Moreover, it featured a music hustings, with candidates from six political parties, which saw representatives from RISE, the Scottish Conservatives and the Scottish Greens advocating the adoption of the Agent Of Change Principle. There were also calls from the panel for Creative Scotland to do more to support the contemporary music sector, improve transparency and engage with the industry.
 
“The success of this year’s event is an endorsement of a programme which is designed to be relevant to the whole industry,” says Wide Days founder Olaf Furniss. “This is further underpinned by all our partners from 2015 renewing their association with the convention, and the addition of several new partnerships.”
 
The SSE Hydro, Creative Carbon Scotland, PRS For Music, MBM Commercial and the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (BASCA) supported Wide Days for the first time this year.
 
“Wide Days is building a reputation throughout the UK and beyond, as a great environment to meet and network,” says Furniss.  “What has made this possible is the amazing team which delivers the convention and the great community which has grown around it.”